Some Thank God It’s Monday

Workaholics take note: If your vacation is more angst than ease, you’ve got company, according to a recent survey of 500 American workers.

The study found that more than a third call the office while on vacation. Of those paid $50,000 and up, more than half call in. And 60% said they’d consider rescheduling time off if something important arose at work.

Failure to balance personal time with job duties can lead to “vacation angst,” maintains Orange County psychologist Michael Foust. “Many people feel their job is their life. Opportunities to leave the office, even for vacation, feel like a crisis.”

Foust heads the Santa Ana office of The Highlands Program, a national service that uses aptitude tests to help clients plan their lives and careers. Highlands sponsored the survey.

“Try to remember the purpose of a vacation is to become refreshed,” Foust said, adding that most people are more creative at work when they lead full family and recreational lives.

Those who must work during vacations should block out time clearly so their families can plan other activities, he said.

E. Scott Reckard covers workplace issues for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-7407 and at scott.reckard@latimes.com